Inside the Mind of Death
by Callicanios
Summary: Seeing inside the mind of a mass murderer from solitary confinement.


Pools of blood and discarded bodies lay about in the city streets. A shortage of food started the sickness that generated a war, it was only natural death was to follow.

One man stood among the dead, surrounded by bodies that were once men of peace, now covered in body armor. Emptied rounds lay at the mans feet. A tall slender man, golden hair shined in the sunlight. Husky blue eyes closed and he folded his hands and said a prayer.

"in mortem cecidit, et stabis in vita"

A harsh voice called out, "There! He's the one who killed them!" A crowd rallied behind the man raising pitchforks and torches.

"You know not of what you speak, my child." The blond man called upon his scythe. "Come with me to see the end, to ensure the beginning."

The crowd of villagers rushed the young man and were cut to their knees and fell lifeless to his wake. Until there was only one. A young child, "Why?" She uttered to the overwhelming presence.

He knelt down to her, "The apocalypse cannot end itself my dear." Without end your lives will carry on in purgatory." He reached out to her only to feel a sharp pain in his side as she removed a curious ring from his ring finger on his right hand.

"Forty years have gone by, no change. He hasn't aged." One greying guard whispered to another.

The younger guard stood in front of the cell. "Hey. What's your name?"

The older guards all laughed amongst themselves, "Don't bother boy, he hasn't said anything to anyone since he got here."

Another guard finished his drink of coffee, "Well, nothing anyone could understand."

The blonde's eyes lifted from the floor, "What is the year?"

All the guards stared in amazement. The younger guard handed the man a cup of hot coffee, his hands trembling a bit. "Sorry, I ran out of creamer and sugar. The year is 2206."

The blonde took the coffee and sat back against the wall. "They used pitchforks and torches against me?" He grimaced at the taste of the coffee after trying a sip.

"The outer lying villages have no technology. That right was taken from them when the war started. They really have no defenses… The government took that from them as well as their sons. You either joined the military so you could send you money home or you died with your family." The younger guard looked down in sorrow. His chocolate brown bangs hid his eyes. "You never told me your name." He outstretched his hand into the cell looking up and smiling. "I'm David Sparrow."

The oldest guard snapped up and tore the younger man away from the cage.

The blond looked up and made direct eye contact with David. Standing up and holding his hand out of the cell to help the guard to his feet. "Caspian. I have no last name. I may have had one a long time ago. But, not anymore."

David shivered at his voice, beyond his better judgment, took Caspian's hand regardless and steadied himself to his feet. Dusting himself off he shot an irritated look to the older guards.

Caspian retreated himself to the back of his cell taking his seat on the floor once again. "What is an average life sentence now?"

David choked on his coffee. "Well. Until you die."

Caspian rubbed his chin, "So I must die sixty times?"

David went pale. "Holy Shit! What the Hell did you do?"

Caspian closed his eyes, "Apparently I am to blame for the war and all the lives lost."

David stared in surprise at the accusation. "Uh… Okay… How?"

Caspian grinned, "I am Death."

The guards laughed, "Times up kid. The quacks want at him."

They guards were quickly ushered out by men in white coats and a young voluptuous woman walked in past the guards as they left. "Wish I was whacked out of my mind to get seen by her!" One guard called out.

The young woman with bright red hair and brilliant blue eyes sat opposing to Caspian.

"Mr. Smith, do you remember who I am?" Her luxurious voice purred.

Caspian narrowed his eyes and growled. "That is not my name. Dr. Akeru Valentine."

She smiled at the sound of her name coming from his mouth. "His voice is so alluring, how is no one else bothered or aroused by this?" She thought to herself flipping through her patient record. "Right, as you told the young man, Caspian. We're going to try something new today, how does that make you feel?"

Caspian gave her no answer or change in emotional state. He just stared into her eyes. Which made her feel like she was being set ablaze by his stare.

Fanning herself, "Dr. Relouse has created a wonderful program for our simulation database, it would allow one to gain access into the mind of a subject. I was wondering for the price of some time off of your sentence if you would be willing to be a test."

"It makes no difference." He leaned up against the bars of his cell pressing his forehead against them motioning for her to come closer.

Standing to step closer, she approached the cell. Within arms reach of him she trembled.

He grinned and made eye contact with her. "You have until midnight. So, I suppose I'll play your silly little game doctor."

Akeru turned to look at the clock on the wall that read 0600. "Very well… What will happen at midnight?"

"Maybe instead of time off my sentence I could just be rewarded with your touch, considering I am scheduled to be executed at midnight, why waste my time with idle promises." He looked her up and down, "Just a simple embrace."

She blushed at this, "So, a dead man walking? Wants a kiss? Your final wish?" She snapped her fingers, "Bring me this David." She looked at Caspian, "You trusted him enough to speak with him, I assume you'll behave with him?"

He smirked, "He's a kindred spirit. Oh doctor, you think I wouldn't behave for you?"

She laughed, "A woman of my position in an all male maximum security prison has learned where my place is, I'm no ones play thing nor am I one to be a hostage."

Caspian smiled and tilted his head, "I would never dream of harming you… Holding you hostage… For an escape? Why bother I would just be hunted, although. I'm not sure I'd be able to stop myself from dancing with you." His voice seductively carried.

Akeru cleared her throat, "I believe restraints won't be necessary."

David stood dumb founded with the iron shackles in his hands. "Um, why, ma'am?"

She smiled over her shoulder, "If he wanted out he would have taken the keys from me and killed everyone in the room and left."

Caspian arched an eyebrow, sighed and handed David the keys, "Well… Killing everyone wasn't on my agenda…"

David snatched the keys from him and shook his head and opened the cell and walked next to an accused mass murder who was unrestrained, the thought of it made him shudder, he figured he'd have reoccurring nightmares of this for weeks.

Caspian reached in David's pocket and stole a single cigarette and a lighter. Flipped the cigarette into the air and caught it in his mouth, then lighting it with the zippo in one motion then held the lighter out for David to take back with an innocent smile. "You shouldn't smoke these… They'll kill you."

David glared at Caspian snatching his lighter back. Caspian quickly pulled his hand back and counted his fingers.

They exited the maximum security seclusion center into the general population, loud crude men shouted cat calls and death threats. Akeru ignored all of them and continued her path to the medical center. One prisoner reached out and snagged her coat and pulled her into his reach and licked her ear, she sighed and pulled her taser out and electrocuted the prisoner, then continued down her path holding her coat a little closer.

Caspian stopped at the cell and whispered something to the man, gave a sadistic smile and flicked the spent cigarette at his forehead.

Not long after they reached the stairs the cellmate of the perverted prisoner started screaming, "Oh God! Somebody help me! He's hanging himself, I didn't do it!"

Walking down the stairs Caspian put his hands in his pockets, "Won't be doing that again will he?"

David stared in horror, "Maybe he is capable of the accusations." He thought to himself.

Caspian smiled at him, "Of course I am… Why do you think they moved me from general population… Everyone around me stared killing themselves."

David stopped in his tracks white as a ghost falling behind the convoy of doctors, guards and the VIP of the facility.

Upon entering the medical ward of the prison they met a smaller framed woman. Her dusty brown hair and her intense green eyes met them as they entered. The prisoner took this opportunity to slice her arm open with a nearby needle. Her eyes shot a look of malice towards him, "I think I'd like to dissect you now." Her grin maddened, "Guards. Escort him to isolation. I have other matters to attend too at the present time."

Her gaze fixed upon Caspian. "Ah. The modern day Martian Bryant. Come, come set him here." She pointed to a large menacing device. The guards strapped him into the tall devious chair, wires and tubes linked away from it and into computers. Xenitha held our forms in front of him, "You have no next of kin, or a living will, do you wave these rights? Also, do I have your informed consent?"

Caspian looked into her eyes, "Yes. Xenitha."

She stopped. "How? No one knows my name but my mother… Oh, this'll be good. Okay, whose climbing into the crazies head?" She clapped her hands, "Come on people, limited time we have we're dealing with a dead man, I want to poke every inch of his brain his body will let me."

Akeru raised her hand, "He's captivated my attention since I've read his file. Forty years that we know of, hasn't aged a day."

Xenitha stared at her, "Right, anyone else? Come on I'm playing God, I want to do it right, I need another, can't risk losing our doctor to his madness. Come on! Let's go already!"

David sputtered out as he gasped for air from running to catch up, "Me, I'll go. I guess he trusts me."

"Oh good, Brains and Braun. Let's go get in the machines!" She lit a cigarette and dropped the head piece over Caspian's brow. He smiled and waved with what little wave the restraints would allow.

"See you soon, Doctor." Caspian closed his eyes and laid his head back into the chair. Akeru shivered as the head piece was placed on her and David.

She smiled at David, "Don't let me get lost."

He just shook his head nervously.

Xenitha walked around snapping the sensors on everyone and flipped the monitors on, "Okay, going live, in… Three," she turned the lights off in the room. "Two," she came around to her monitor and turned the adjoining television on. "One." She typed in an encrypted password and the devilish machine turned on and jolted the three of them, David's and Akeru's vitals spiked and violently swung around on her screen until stabilizing. "Interesting. Caspian's vitals never faultered."

The television flickered and whined and a picture appeared, "Well, this is unexpected…" Xenitha muttered as she curiously smoked her cigarette.

Akeru was hanging upside down in a room full of chains and fire. "Help! Oh God! Where the Hell am I?!"

She snapped in and out as David shook her, "Doctor! Doctor!" He smacked her across the face. She snapped awake looking at the young brunette man. "It isn't real, doctor."

Taking in her new surroundings they were alone in what looked like a charred town with only bones as remains and insects skittering away. "So this is the mind of a murderer…"

David pointed to the distance a twisted house sat on a hill. "So gloomy here, no sun… No life… This is the mind of Death…"

They started towards the only standing structure of the town, twisted as it may be, it was the only form of shelter from the coming rains. They got to the grand red door and creaked it open. A spiraled staircase and torn wallpaper, a disarrayed home, the pictures upside down and blurred. The house would not stand in normal laws of physics the walls were slanted and the floor was crooked. "I suppose we should find our friend…" David started.

Akeru was dazzled by a large ring that adorned a dusty table, "An ouroboros?" She grabbed the ring and put it in her pocket. "Yes, we should."

They began exploring, when the house revealed nothing out of the ordinary aside from is construction they began opening doors. "We should stay together from this point on." David said. Akeru nodded and pushed a door open. They both fell into a room, a woman stood at the kitchen sink of a country kitchen crying as blood ran down her dress and legs. A blond boy stood in the corner terrified. A man walked into the kitchen cleaning his knife of blood, "Damnit, woman just die!" He plunged the knife into the base of her skull and she fell. Akeru screamed and covered her face. The man looked up and turned around looking directly at them.

"Doctor…" David grabbed her shoulder and pulled her towards the door.

"No, it's locked, this way!" The little boy yelled and grabbed David's hand and lead him to the basement, slamming the door behind them. "Go! The cellar door!" They ran to the cellar door and opened it, Akeru looked back as the door crashed open throwing the boy down the stairs, "Run!" He called to them. The older man got to the boy and smacked him across the back of his head knocking him out. Then gave chase to the couple as they dove out the door.

They both looked up to see old Britain. "David... Do you think...?" Akeru studied their new surroundings, "Could we have just witnessed the beginnings of Caspian?"

David sighed, "I don't know, you're the doctor. All I know is a memory saw us and attacked us." The sound of Big Bed gonged.

A woman silently walked the streets beckoning a man indoors. He followed her and they heard a scream and a red flash on her window. Quickly the man left the home, followed by a blonde man. They followed the pair, the man with golden hair turned to them and hushed them with a single finger and disappeared around a corner. "Jack the Ripper, you've done Death's work long enough. It is time you are ceased in your crime. A woman screamed, "I discharge you in the name of Death, Jaclyn, your days of killing woman for their children are over. You've committed crimes against the first horseman, you pay with your soul… I am the reaper."

They rounded the corner to see the same ring on his finger, Akeru reached out, "Caspian! Stop!"

He lunged toward them throwing them into another door. This room was filled with carnage and dismembered bodies. The sound of guns and dogs echoed through the room they were in. Men shouting in German. A little boy praying wearing the Star of David. "A concentration camp…" David whispered.

Helicopters and screams were heard, they ran outside to see people being set on fire. One German officer pointed to them and let his dog free, they both sprinted as fast as they could away running right past Caspian again. He looked over his shoulder smiling placing one finger over his lips, revealing the same ring. Akeru slowly walked towards him as the Americans slammed into the camp, scattering bullets through the air.

They ran into a building to take cover but upon entering the room their scenery changed once again. This time there were four men standing on a hilltop.

"Famine…" Caspian said calmly. The silver haired man on a horse nodded and took off down the hill at full gallop. Caspian sitting upon his pure white horse turned around in his saddle and made eye contact with the couple once again. Smiling, "Bring me my ring."

Xenitha watched the monitors. "Cut them, now, David and Akeru are flat lining! Move, move! Why are you staring at me! Get them out!"

The machines were quickly shut down and David and Akeru were quickly stabilized. Caspian was the last to be shut down. He seemed unharmed and unchanged. The guards quickly restrained him and dragged him back to solitary confinement. He wore a smile the whole way back.

Xenitha quickly did a check on Akeru, "What the Hell happened, did it work? Did you see anything? Your vitals went haywire. I had to pull the plug, to many unknown variables."

Akeru looked at David. "No way." She scoffed in disbelief. Then looked at Xenitha, "You're a freaking genius! I saw... Well unorganized thoughts and memories... If only there was a way to catalog them."

Xenitha arched an eyebrow, "Indeed..." She turned around and started scribbling in her notebook. "Guards, help them out please."

The guards ushered them into the doorway of the medical ward.

David still a little shaken whispered, "Doctor… That ring is in the evidence locker with his belongings that were on him at the time of his capture. I can get us in there, he didn't do this, well. Not single handed… I believe him. I think we're dealing with forces beyond our comprehension."

Akeru looked at him and reached in her pocket and felt cold metal on her hand, she pulled out the object and stared at the ring in horror. "Then how do I have it?" She composed herself and placed the ring back in her pocket. "Dr. Relouse, would it be possible for me to speak to him about the things we've seen?"

Xenitha turned to her, "Please, do, he's your patient. I have other matters. Now. Leave." She shoved them out of the medical ward and hollered at the guard. "Bring me the punk who cut me!"

Akeru looked at David, "I'm supposed to be escorted."

He nodded and they quickly made their way to the chamber holding the suspected horseman.

Akeru gracefully walked into the room where Caspian was being held. "Leave, I have my escort." She pointed at David and pulled a chair up to Caspian's cell.

He squatted near the bars and held his hand out beyond the bars. "You have something of mine."

She pulled the ring out of her pocket. "What the Hell is happening?"

His eyes traced her body, "Give me the ring. I will explain."

She reached out and dropped the ring into his hand. He smiled and placed it on his right ring finger. The titanium bars twisted and groaned away from him and he stepped out of the cell and held his left arm out as a long black coat fell into his hand. With a fluid motion he swung the coat around him and fastened the belts and zipper and the button at the top.

He turned to Akeru, "I promised an explanation…" He grabbed her by the shoulders and gave her a deep kiss, in that moment she saw his every memory, felt his every emotion their embrace was parted. He gently touched her cheek bone, then vanished into a cloud of ash being carried by a breeze out the window.

Akeru fell to the floor. "The kiss of Death… He really was... Him."


End file.
